Sunday, January 15, 2012

Cultured Foods Monday: Cultured Ginger Root



Be sure to stop by our giveaway post starting 1/17 as my sister Christy over at Whole Foods On a Budget and I will be doing a fun giveaway!



It's been so fun seeing how many others in the blog world are all about cultured foods this year!  I have already found so many fun ideas to try.  As I posted last Monday, I will be doing a post every Monday this year with a new cultured foods recipe or with some great cultured food facts.  Today I am posting my cultured ginger root recipe that I adapted from Nourishing Traditions.  Nourishing Traditions calls for 3 pounds of ginger root.  In my opinion, this is way too much to do at one time.  Peeling and slicing up one pound was quite enough for me and this cultured ginger is potent, so a little goes a long way.  Here is my adapted recipe:

*1 pound ginger root, peeled and sliced very thinly
*2 T whey
*1 T pink salt
*1/2-1 cup water

Rinse the peeled and sliced root and place in 3 cup sized jar.  Pound lightly to release juices.  Mix water with the salt and whey and add to ginger.  Make sure that the root is completely covered and that there is at least one inch of space below the top of the jar.  Cover tightly and allow to sit in a dark place at room temperature for 3 days, then transfer to the refrigerator.

Cultured ginger root can be used in a number of recipes.  Try it minced finely in salad dressings, stir fries, yogurt and fruit, fruit crisps, hot tea, steamed rice and more!  If you are adding it to a cooked item, add it after the item has finished cooking to keep the probiotic properties intact.  I added it to salad dressing and it was so yummy!  And, remember, a little bit goes a LONG way!  So make sure you mince it finely and use a small amount.

Be sure to stop by our giveaway post starting 1/17 as my sister Christy over at Whole Foods On a Budget and I will be doing a fun giveaway!

(Featured on Nourishing Treasures, Home Savvy A to Z, My Sweet and Savory, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Delightfully Dowling, You are Talking Too Much, The Healthy Home Economist, DIY Home Sweet Home, So Very Creative, Marvelously Messy, The Gunny Sack, New Life on a Homestead , Ruth's Real Food , Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Mom's Crazy Cooking , Homestead Revival, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker , 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, Organized Junkie, Marvelously Messy, Far Above Rubies, Hope Studious, From Mess Hall to Bistro , Permanent Posies, All the Small Stuff, Nap Time Creations, Real Food Forager, Time Warp Wife, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Mandy's Recipe Box, Rook #17, The 21st Century Housewife, Food Corner, Savvy Southern Style, The King's Court IV , Beyond the Peel, We are that Family, Raising Homemakers, Mind Body and Sole, This Chick Cooks, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Momnivore's Delimma, Somewhat Simple, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Tales From Bloggeritaville, A Little Nosh , Premeditated Leftovers, Frugal Follies, Delightful Order,  It's a Keeper , The Nourishing Gourmet, Happy Hour Projects , Comfy in the Kitchen, Real Food Whole Health, Real Food Freaks , Food Renegade, Simply Sweet Home, Happy Hour Projects, Bacon Time with the Hungry Hypo , Common Sense Homesteading, Allergy Free Vintage Cooking, Fitness Friday, Whipperberry, Butter Believer, A Well Seasoned Life, Six Sister's Stuff

18 comments:

  1. These look handy! I look forward to more cultured food mondays.

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  2. Hi. Thanks for sharing this at Real Food 101. I've wanted to ferment ginger for a while. Does it taste like the ginger you get at a sushi place?

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  3. It's been a while since I have had sushi - this ginger root just has a nice crisp bite to it. Delicious!

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  4. Cultured ginger - not sure if I've ever tried that. Sounds quite tasty and worth a try!

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  5. I'm so glad I found you through Rook No. 17. I've been wnting to get into cultured foods more and this is a perfect entry point. I love ginger but find that I can't use it up fast enough. I have been freezing it (great little tip from a chef) but I found it looses it's potency. How long does this last?

    I'm hosting Whole Food Wednesdays at Beyond The Peel. I hope you'll swing by for a visit and maybe even share!

    http://www.beyondthepeel.net/2012/01/roasted-spiced-chickpeas-and-fennel-salad.html

    I just subscribed. I'm excited about your weekly posts.

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  6. What a great idea! My whole family loves the flavor of ginger, so this will certainly be a hit :)

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  7. i tried pickling my own ginger a while back. It tasted pretty good and it preserved the ginger but I don't think I got it thin enough - pretty fibrous. But I think this is interesting!

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  8. What a great idea and a good money saver! Thanks for sharing!
    ~Tonia @TheGunnySack.com

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  9. I love having Ginger on hand for different recipes. This is a great idea that I will sure try. Hope you have a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

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  10. We love ginger around here, and adding some probiotics would be great! I'll have to give it a try. :)

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  11. Hi Jessica, I love ginger in any form. I remember my mother in law many, many years ago would make ginger beer out of a ginger root. I don't know how she did it but she usually had one on the go. Thanks for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris
    http://chelencarter-retiredandlovingit.blogspot.com/

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  12. What a great way to incorporate more probiotic foods in your diet easily. Thank you for sharing your recipe for cultured ginger root with the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  13. Thank you so much for sharing your talent and tips on “A Little Birdie Told Me…” at Rook No. 17! Looking forward to seeing what inspirations you’ll share tomorrow!
    Warmest wishes,
    Jenn

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  14. What a flavorful addition to recipes. I freeze my ginger because a little goes a long way, but I think this is a wonderful way to preserve it. thanks for sharing your recipe and tips with the Hearth and Soul Hop.

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  15. Pink salt is often from the Himalayas. Dr. Mercola carries a good brand of it. It has a lot of great nutrients and is not iodized.

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